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Gauge Symmetry and Dynamics in Anisotropic Gravity
Mathematical Physics Seminar| Speaker: | Charles Melby-Thompson, UC Berkeley |
| Location: | 1147 MSB |
| Start time: | Wed, Oct 12 2011, 3:10PM |
In the minimal formulation of gravity with Lifshitz-type anisotropic scaling, the gauge symmetries of the system are foliation-preserving diffeomorphisms of spacetime. Consequently, compared to general relativity, the spectrum contains an extra scalar graviton polarization. Here we investigate the possibility of extending the gauge group by a local U(1) symmetry to “nonrelativistic general covariance.” This extended gauge symmetry eliminates the scalar graviton and related possible instabilities. The resulting theory exhibits anisotropic scaling at short distances, and reproduces many features of general relativity at long distances.
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